Fri 3.2.

The Metropol Parasol towers above the city of Seville; photo courtesy of Arup

Completed less than a year ago in a previously derelict area of Seville, the imposing 30-metre-high Metropol Parasol is one of the largest timber structures ever built. Designed by a Berlin-based architect Jürgen Mayer H. and the engineering specialists Arup, the initially-opposed-by-the-public Parasol has since become one of the city’s most famous landmarks. It has also affected the people who live and work around the Plaza de la Encarnacíon. In their recent documentary about the structure, Arup spoke to a number of local residents and business owners who explained why the Parasol plays such an importnat role in the lives of Sevillians.